Hilltoppers prep for Pumpkin Fest

fosters.com

Writer

Posted Oct. 11, 2012 at 3:15 AM

Posted Oct. 11, 2012 at 3:15 AM

SOMERSWORTH — Once again, loads of activities — all family friendly and pumpkin themed — will be front and center during the city’s 10th annual Pumpkin Festival, set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Somersworth Plaza on Main Street.“Everything’s pumpkin, pumpkin and more pumpkin,” Festival Co-Director’s Don Houde, Anna Houde and Arnie Tarr said. “Loads of fun for the whole family.” The Oct. 13 event will feature tents offering pumpkin carving and painting, scarecrow making, cookie and cupcake decorating, mask making leaf etching, and a Halloween Pumpkin Storytime tent hosted by Debra Longo, the library director. Other venues include pumpkin putt-putt golf, pumpkin basketball, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin smashing and the popular pumpkin catapult and sling shot, and the new apple air gun. The primary objective of the festival, underwritten by the Somersworth Festival Association, is to offer events and activities that encourage participation by parents and children of all ages.The organizers of the event said “We really want to have parents and their kids do things together rather than have the adults standing in the background watching their kids have all the fun.”In this light, families can carve a pumpkin together, make a scarecrow together, take a hay ride together, etch some leaves together and visit the food court, sit at the tables, listen to the music and enjoy the variety of foods. The event will be held rain or shine from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and the purchase of a bracelet for $12, no charge for adults, allows access to all activities except the food court. All supplies at any of the venues are provided including pumpkins to carve, paint, smash, catapult, or sling through the air. Everything necessary to create your scarecrow is also included. There will be a family photo area managed by local photographer John Huff where bracelet holders can pose behind plywood cutouts or on the hay bales to get a picture to remember this event. This event has something for kids of all ages, not just the children eight years old or younger. Older kids will like pulling the trigger on the catapult, building a scarecrow, shooting the apple gun or bowling with a pumpkin for a ball. There are just lots of activities for boys and girls of any age. Performances by the Doug Mitchell Band will be held on the Main Stage along with the SHS chorus, Caroline Carter songs and the Tricky Dick Magic Show. The Second Stage will feature the Studio 109 dancers, the Extreme Air jump ropers and Mr. B Tae Kwon Do. A raffle to support the festival will be conducted by the stage emcee with gift certificate prizes awarded through the day. Continuing the policy of the Pumpkin Festival to feature nonprofit organizations and high school groups in the food court, there will be hamburgers/hot dogs from the Boy Scouts, a chili cook-off by the Girl Scouts, fried dough and french fries by the Lions, sea food chowder from the Somersworth chamber, barbecue beef from Friends of Somersworth, candied apples from the Early Learning Center and varied foods including cotton candy by the seven groups from the high school. Also included in food offerings are pizza and Chinese dinners. Hayrides will be offered all day from the plaza entrance to the Somersworth Historical Museum with adults welcome to ride with the kids. Face painting is provided by the SHS Interact club and the pumpkin pie eating contest is an event favorite. For more information about the festival or if you would like to volunteer at this event, contact the SFA office at 692-5869 or email co-director Anna Houde at annahoude@yahoo.com.